Covet
by Wendy McCalister
Summary: Look only at me. Want only me. Be mine only. Otherwise, I'll break you.
1. Prologue

**Covet**

 **Summary:** Look only at me. Want only me. Be mine only. Otherwise, I'll break you. Dark!Kurama and Botan.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **A/N:** Just a quick note before you start reading. So I just found out the reason why I can't seem to access this website on my desktop. Apparently, it's blocked in my country and I was too stupid to notice that. Thank goodness the app allows you to update stories, but on the other hand, it totally erases any line breaks available in my documents. So starting from today onwards till god knows when (probably when my country stops blocking access to Fanfiction), I'll be using Roman numbers to indicate different scenes. I know, I know. Why Roman numbers, you ask? Well, I just don't like using random letters like xxxx or say stuff like -another scene- but mostly because I just want to use them.

 **And also, because I don't want to be responsible for you guys reading content you don't like, there will be warnings in this fic, such as:** crazy Kurama, strong sexual innuendos, profanities, drug use (no, not those things you get addicted to in real life. When I mean drug, I mean like, plant drugs... if that makes sense), explicit and mostly rough smut (sorry, I just like that kind of thing), kinks, blood and possible gore, kidnapping and entrapment. And because this is a dark romance fic, a lot of insanity and psychological trauma. Not to forget obsession, of course. There's gonna be a very good dose of that. (Yes, I'm messed up and perverted. So are a lot of other people).

But because this is only the introduction, there's gonna be none of those... except for the first one.

 **Chapter 1: Prologue**

Ever since I was a pup, I've always been a little insane - well, maybe a little is an understatement.

It's no secret that the majority of us demons have a sadistic streak. We like to cause havoc everywhere we go and have a particular perversion towards someone else's pain. Perhaps it is contributed by the fact that the world we live in is filled with violence and destruction - a jungle where no rules exist except for the not-so-lawful 'kill or be killed' which is heavily applied. We breathe in an air of blood and are taught to kill even if we were just one day's old: a fact that also results to many of us lacking any empathy or emotional attachment towards others unless they have something we could benefit from. Greedy, lustful, selfish, cruel and cynical are only a few attributes that describe our kind. Although, at some point, a fairly good amount of us harbor at least a shred of humanity in them.

Hiei, though abrasive and as unwilling as he is to admit it, has grown soft over the years after meeting Yusuke. Yukina has always been the nicest and sweetest girl of the group, even before she came and joined us. And even some of our demon peers have started to care about each other more than they let on.

Love and friendship are only a scratch on the surface when it comes to the many things we've learned in our interactions and relationships with other beings we used to consider inferior to us such as those in Spirit World and specifically, humans. We grow and become more mature, realizing that there's more to life than just going on a merciless killing spree to satisfy our need for blood and torment. The world doesn't revolve around only chaos anymore, and we begin to open up to one another. Layer after layer we peel until there's no more to reveal.

This is most true in my case. After merging with the mortal body of Shuichi Minamino, I've grown out of my cold exterior and have begun to develop a maternal affection towards my human mother. In which I soon start to become a better person through my close relations with Yusuke and the rest. I don't kill or steal recklessly like I used to, I start to love and cherish the people around me more than I've ever had in my past life. I'm... more human than any of us and we all know that.

That doesn't mean the insanity from long ago has faded away, though. The monster inside me still exists, lying dormant underneath my polite semblance. Watching. Waiting to strike. For the opportunity to reveal itself. The devil himself would have been shamed if he were to know all the awful things that go through my head sometimes. I'm a mess and I acknowledge that. Embrace it even. After all, old habits die hard.

But, with my human morality and fastidious self-control over my darker, more animalistic urges getting in the way, I've managed to hold back for most of the time. Retaining the wild beast running amok from within, I keep on with my perfect act of kindness and nobility. No one ever finds out and I don't plan on letting them know. Although, at times I can't help but finding myself lapse back into my former atrocities. Those times are when the Demon Tournament is held every once a few years, when I get to go around killing as many people as I want whilst winning all of my battles.

It's when the blood runs down my fingers and I flick my wrist around someone's neck to rip it off their shoulders that my true self comes into the surface. It's the fact that I feel a sort of thrill and enjoyment towards my enemy's pain that lets me know that I'm still as insane as I used to be. I don't mind it. As long as no one else sees and I get to keep it hidden underneath my mask of composure, that's fine by me.

But, it's when I'm around _her_ that I can't control myself. My thoughts run wild, the monster I've managed to chain down tries to break through, but I still don't make a move. I want her. I want to have her. To take her. To claim her as mine. If I could, I'd abandon everything else just to keep her by my side. As my woman. My mate. And only mine. If anyone tries to get in the way, I'll just hunt them down and make them suffer through worse pain than death. I won't care and to be frank, I don't want to.

Perhaps it's because I'm always drawn to things I can't have. I'm always greedy, and I try to conquer even those that are impossible for me to own. Botan is no exception. In fact, she's more than just something I want to take just because I desire her. I _need_ her. More than anyone can possibly imagine. It started with a small crush, but over the long years, it has begun to evolve into something akin to love - and lust - and obsession. Botan is the clear opposite of my inner self; she's selfless, caring and genuinely helpful towards the people around her. That is why I like her - because she's exactly what I've always sought to be. Always smiling, she brightens up everyone's day and cheers them up. She isn't perfect, but to me, she is a blinding light in my darkness. Pure. Saint. Naive. Innocent. Like the white roses I just planted in my garden. But I can taint them. With just a drop of blood, I can taint them.

I can taint her.

And I want to.

I want to sink my teeth into her and corrupt her. And as wrong as that may sound, it is, in essence, my reality and the truth. When my chance arrives, I'll grasp it and stake my claim on her.

Once a fox digs its claws into you, you'll never escape.


	2. Chapter 2

**Covet**

 **Summary:** Look only at me. Want only me. Be mine only. Otherwise, I'll break you.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **A/N:** This chapter, unlike the prologue, is set in the third person's perspective. Meaning no more Kurama POVs, though you can still tell how crazy he is just from the descriptions that will be detailed in this fic.

 **Chapter 2**

"I thought you were against breaking innocent girls' hearts?"

Kurama looked up from the floor of his stepfather's company, emerald orbs catching sight of flowing black coat before his eyes traveled further upwards to meet a pair of bloody crimson. A half smile reached the corners of his lips as he ran a hair into his fiery red mane.

"Hello, Hiei," he greeted as he watched the other demon jump down from the chandelier and stalked towards him. "I would appreciate it if you would cease waiting on the chandelier for me to finish work."

Hiei rolled his eyes and made a small grunting noise at the back of his throat as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hn. As if I care." He turned his head from the fox and proceeded to pin a deathly glare on one of Kurama's coworkers as he walked past them. The poor man gave out a shudder before shrieking and running out of the door.

"Your answer is unsurprisingly predictable. Although, I still hope you would put that awful habit of yours to a halt as I'm getting complaints from my colleagues about the chandelier swinging around like it's about to fall. Not that I care, but I do not wish to listen to another nonsensical story about this building being haunted," Kurama said as the door opened to give way to an exit and he stepped out of the threshold of Hatanaka's Corporation. Hiei followed suit, muttering something incoherent under his breath as the automatic door shut close behind them.

"You still didn't answer my question," Hiei reminded him as they entered the busy streets.

Kurama stepped aside to allow an old lady to pass through and offered her a curt smile as she thanked him before averting his gaze to the fire demon. A sigh escaped him as he realized that Hiei was referring to the girl who confessed to him just before he chose to approach him. He had known a while ago that the shorter male had been watching the whole scene, but had wished that he wouldn't bring it up in the conversation – but, of course, like many things, Hiei did not function the way Kurama would have liked him to.

"I thought you were being rhetorical," he supplied, "and for your information, I never said that I was against breaking their hearts. I merely said that I would rather not to, but if the circumstances were to provide a reason for me to do so, that doesn't mean I wouldn't resort to rejecting them. I'm not to blame for not reciprocating their feelings. Since when were you interested in my love life anyway?"

"I just thought it would be fun to watch you attempt to control your frustration as you talk about your rabid fangirls," Hiei answered as one of the corners of his lips quirked up into a small, self-satisfied smirk. He distinctly caught the sound of Kurama uttering a savage curse under his breath and could just feel the fox shaking his head in disapproval.

A verbal insult teased at the tip of Kurama's tongue, but the words failed to leave his throat as Hiei retrieved a white envelope from the inside of his cloak and pushed it to his stomach. Kurama instantly grabbed it before it managed to fall on the ground.

"What's this?" Kurama asked but did not actually expect a proper answer as he turned the envelope around and promptly noted to himself that it was from Keiko and Yusuke. "An invitation to their wedding?" he guessed, but knew that from the silent shrug of Hiei's left shoulder that his response came in the form of a yes.

"I never knew you've subjected yourself to being their personal mailboy. Are Mukuro's errands becoming too mundane for you?" he went on with a teasing edge in his smooth timbre, peridot irises gleaming in mischief as his short friend shot him a heated stare.

"One more word from you and I will not hesitate to slit your throat, Kurama," Hiei snapped, the sentence tinted with the adding of a menacing growl, "and I just so happened to meet them by chance. They wanted to post it to you, but Yusuke decided that they didn't need to bother because I was around and thus, I was forced to do the work of handing it to you. Be thankful I went out of my way just to do this for your sorry ass, fox."

"Thank you, Hiei. I really do appreciate it," Kurama replied with a smile as he lightly waved the envelope for emphasis, wisely choosing to ignore Hiei's death threat. He was far too used to Hiei throwing him that kind of thing at least once a day to actually feel threatened by it.

When the fire demon didn't justify him with a response, the redhead prompted on opening the envelope. Once the letter inside was free from its confinements, Kurama proceeded to read what was written on the folded piece of paper. It looked as if it was worn out, as if it had been read over and over again. Kurama could only presume Hiei had unabashedly looked inside at some point before they met up, but cleverly kept his assumptions to himself.

" _You are now invited to Yusuke Urameshi's and Keiko Yukimura's wedding ceremony on July 15th, this Saturday. Gifts are encouraged, but are not considered as necessities to bring along. Upon your decision to attend the ceremony, it is therefore advised that you bring a partner along as a romantic companion for the day's events..."_ His mind blocked out any of the other words visible on the invitation card and syllables blurred out in his now clouded view as a statical noise went through his head. It was as if all line of thoughts steered to a dead end due to the last sentence.

"Since when were we required to bring dates to a wedding?" he muttered more to himself than to the demon next to him. And yet, unexpectedly, he earned an immediate response.

"How the hell should I know? I am not accustomed to your foolish, human ways," Hiei snorted and rolled his eyes. A pause hung shortly, yet painfully in the air before he turned to face the fox demon with a mildly interested expression on his otherwise blank face. "Do you have anyone in mind?" he inquired, in spite of having a clue as to whom the redhead was thinking about.

Those freckles of molten gold in his vibrant green eyes and the sudden change from calm flowing of his aura to waves of tension and sexual frustration could only mean one thing. Hiei knew this, as he had seen the same look over and over again on the thief's face. The same look he would adopt whenever his eyes laid on _her_.

A flash of blue, a sparkle of violet, shimmering orbs and a wide smile on pink, glossy lips. Kurama's mind could still barely hear the swooshing sound of her trademark kimono flowing in time with the bone-chilling breeze, and could vividly see the hem of it flying upwards due to the strong wind, revealing a bit of her long legs and the flushed skin of her knees. If one could look into his head and witness the images conjured up in the dark recesses of his mind, one would have assumed he had watched said images countless times that he could still remember them to a tee. If so, then one's suspicions could only be deemed correct.

"Why, yes, Hiei. Yes, I do, indeed," he uttered, words barely above a hushed whisper.

The line on his lips curved upwards to form a nearly feral grin; the predatory nature in the smirk revealing one barely visible fang as his eyes clouded into a murky forest green, his lust and desire already evident in all of its naked glory. His human side scurrying beneath, the demonic instincts lying dormant within seemed to rear their ugly heads into the surface.

Hiei had to suppress a cold shiver as he whirled away from the sight.

A monster such as the one walking beside him would only bring trouble. And Hiei could smell it coming from a mile away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Covet**

 **Summary:** Look only at me. Want only me. Be mine only. Otherwise, I'll break you.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Chapter 3**

"Hello, Yusuke? It's me," Kurama said as soon as a click sounded, and a strained 'hey' resonated from the other side of the line.

The frustrated edge in the delinquent's sleepy voice dissipated to give way to brimming joy, the drowsiness in his timbre apparently seeming to fade into nothingness as life came back in his voice. " _Kurama! How have you been, man? It's been a while._ "

The clock ticked twelve o'clock. A crimson strand was led astray by the cold breeze as it entered through the opened window that stood 8ft tall, light red curtains with rose embroideries flowing in time with the wind. The redhead brushed the lock of scarlet hair back to join the rest of his fringe.

"I've been fine, Yusuke," Kurama murmured, a slow smile reaching his lips. A slight creak echoed in the dark, air-conditioned room as he stood up from the bed, feet colliding with the hard surface of the floor before he guided them towards his window. "What about you? I apologize for not having kept in contact. I've been preoccupied." His sentence came to an end as instantly as his fingers found the windowsill and glided it close with a soft thud.

" _Meh, been alright as usual. Keiko keeps bugging me about the wedding preparations, though._ " Kurama bit his lower lip to refrain a chuckle from leaving his throat as he imagined Yusuke waving a hand nonchalantly over his shoulder whilst also rolling his brown eyes in irritation. " _Must be hard being an heir to a big company, huh? It's been months since I last heard from you._ "

"Well, I can't say it's been particularly that difficult," the fox replied as he turned around and pushed his back against the icy coldness of his windowpane. His free arm came to cross over his chest, his hand grasping onto his forearm connected to the one that was holding his cellphone as he watched the moonlight cast a fluorescent blue shade over the shadows of his room. "It's just that I have a lot to deal with, but nothing really worth mentioning," he finished, and it was the truth. Not the smooth lies he would give whenever he didn't want his family and friends to worry.

After all, he had gone through worse ordeals than a bunch of paperwork and tedious meetings- such things would not even make him perspire a single bead of sweat, much less result to mounting stress. If anything, he would even say that he went through life with easy breeze- it was just that many events usually took place like gaias or business trips that he hadn't had the time to spend his mundane days with the people who actually mattered.

" _Heh, don't mention it. I don't wanna hear about what you've been up to anyway. Bet it must be boring as hell._ " This time, a chuckle did escape him as Yusuke seemed to read his thoughts.

"Don't worry. I won't bore you with the details." Humor dripped in Kurama's rich voice, mirth dancing in his green orbs- slight peridot in the darkness and little moonlight that surrounded him. "I received your wedding invitation, by the way. I must say, it was quite hilarious to see Hiei going to such extremes just to deliver it to me."

" _Wish I could have seen his face_ ," Yusuke's words were accompanied with the lively sound of his wholehearted laughter. " _He must have been so angry at me for making him do that._ "

"Not really. In fact, despite his obvious dismay of having to go through all the trouble, I would say that he had enjoyed the day's turn of events. He did, after all, catch me rejecting one of my faithful fans."

" _What? Why? Was she hot- Ow, Keiko! I was just asking. Go to sleep already._ " Kurama caught a loud thump as Yusuke inquired the girl's appearance, followed by the muffled sound of Yusuke's strangled voice, probably being choked by the gripping clutches of Keiko's fingers. He could only guess that Keiko had hit him over the head as his ears caught a few odd, incoherent noises he couldn't really make out aside from the brunette's yelling and a bit of shuffling here and there from Yusuke's side of the line. Everything was dead silent as if a mute button had been abruptly pressed in what he could only assume was a scuffle. A few moments passed before Yusuke's voice echoed in his ears again.

" _Hey. You still there?_ " Yusuke sounded as if he had just barely escaped a death match. Kurama couldn't help but permit a wide, cheeky grin to spread his cheeks.

"I see she hasn't been out of practice," he humorously stated instead of justifying the former detective with a proper response. A grunt resounded from the other line.

" _Don't push me, foxboy. Anyway, back to the topic at hand-_ "

"You mean, how Keiko evidently has you collared and leashed?"

" _No_ ," came Yusuke's growled out reply in return of Kurama's attempt at playing a joke. The redhead was unperturbed. " _About the fangirl. I mean, I get that you didn't like her back and love can't be forced and all, but it's not like you've got a date for the wedding anyway, right? You could have asked her._ "

Kurama's answer was an immediate impulse. "I would rather not. First of all, it's wrong to use her like that and second of all, I would prefer not to lull her into a false sense of hope. I rather enjoy my drama-free bachelor life, thank you very much."

" _What's that supposed to mean? Just tell her it's a one time thing because you don't have a partner for a friend's wedding. It's not like you're giving those feelings of hers attention-_ "

"Trust me, Yusuke, everytime I look at her, I'm giving those feelings attention," Kurama briskly cut him off, his voice stern yet holding an underlying edge of menace. It was as if the whole conversation had just insulted his principles. "I've prevented locking eyes with any of my female colleagues for a reason and I would like to keep it that way."

Yusuke felled silent and Kurama could just imagine him stupidly gaping at the wall, with his mouth wide apart and opening and closing like a dumb fish. " _Okay, okay, fine!_ " he relented, his admittance of defeat in the subject probably also coupled with his two arms thrown up in the air. " _Alright, if you're not asking any of your crazy, stalker-ish groupies, then who are you asking?_ "

The tension in the air seemed to instantly disappear at the reminder of the purpose of his phone call. The single thin line on Kurama's lips curved upwards to outline a slightly giddy smile as his restless waves of aura relaxed and regained its graceful, peaceful motion. The murky red color in his Demon Energy faded away, his more aggressive nature chased away to be replaced by a shade of light purple that signified his more humane side. Composure collected, the tense muscles in Kurama's rigid form promptly relaxed and his shoulders hunched down as the words erupted from his smiling lips,

"Speaking of which, do you have Botan's number? I hear she has her own cellphone now?"

 **II**

When Kurama called her, he did not expect her to pick up.

He had spent half an hour pacing in his room, his mind going over the odds that she was not yet asleep and that he wouldn't be deemed a bother for giving her an early wake up call in the middle night. Another half an hour passed by with him sitting on his bed and mulling over what to say and how he should go about revealing the true reason why he called her. Although, fifteen minutes later, he decided; _ah, what the hell_ when he thought about her either asking someone else or being asked by another man to the wedding already. Out of sheer impatience and desire not to let anyone else steal her from him, his natural survival instincts caused a strong impulse to course through every cell of his being that called out to him to do something. Before he knew it, his fingers were already dialing Botan's number.

" _Hello?_ "

Botan's voice, dripping with a cute blur of drowsiness, made his heart flip and stop at the same time. Sweat beaded on the skin of his palm as his nerves finally kicked in, robbing him of his capability of speech. His fingers seemed to shake with the insides of his stomach churning and turning inside out. It had been a while since he last heard her voice.

" _Hello_?" Botan repeated, and that was when he eventually mustered up a sliver of courage to part his mouth.

"Hello, Botan," His lips formed out the words in a soft timbre that was barely above a hushed whisper, her name rolling off his tongue in a perfect wave that caused butterflies to appear in the pit of his stomach. This feeling was soon followed by a coil of heat that seemed to tighten and knot around in his belly as he ventured further, "Is this Botan?" He didn't know why he bothered asking – that voice could only belong to one person.

There was a short moment of silence. A brief pause that seemed to drag on forever as the air around him grew tense and restless. He waited on bated breath for some kind of response.

" _Kurama?_ " she finally uttered, and he resisted the urge to breathe out a sigh of relief as his name escaped her lips. " _Is that really you? I've missed you! What have you been up to these days?_ " The uncertainty in her low voice disappeared to allow the slightest bit of child-like excitement and pure glee to peek through.

The wreaking nerves in his system seemed to calm down at the increased notch in her voice, a breath of relief eventually released out into the air through his slightly parted lips as he realized that she was happy to hear from him. A chuckle built in his chest and erupted from his throat. "Work, that's all. Too boring to talk about. How are you doing?"

There was a small, admittedly adorable whine from the other line, laced with the strong edge of an indignant grunt. " _Work, too, I guess. Koenma-sama never gives me any break. Instead, everytime I ask him for one, he increases my workload and admonishes me for complaining! I swear, he's being more of a jerk lately._ " She spoke to him as if they hadn't been out of contact for months, and it brought a smile to his face but also a deep, engraved frown on his forehead at the mention of the bratty prince.

In all honesty, Kurama never really liked him- he was too childish for his taste and he also had a knack for giving Botan a hard time. Not that he would ever say that out loud. He tended to keep his opinions to himself. After all, he was entilted to his own perceptions towards other people but that didn't mean he felt obliged to voice them out. Especially not in regards to Koenma. He knew that despite her constant complaints, Botan really adored the Reikai prince as her good friend. They knew each other for a long time, after all, and Koenma had been close to her even before any of them had the chance to get to know her. That was also partially why the fox at times harbored a sense of jealousy towards the toddler- also probably why he hated him so much.

He adopted a friendly pretense that he was too used to using despite his insides brewing with rage over the topic. He never really liked talking about Koenma either. "You musn't badmouth him so. He is still your precious friend, after all." Kurama could almost hear his own inner vomit as he let the last sentence come out of his mouth. His lips, quirked up but forced, looked almost chilling in the cold room.

" _Nah, he deserves it._ " Botan huffed and Kurama could only sit there in awe as his anger quickly faded away at the cute sound. It seemed to him everything she did was something he found awfully charming. She could be giving him a rough scolding or hitting him over the head with the rear end of her oar for all he cared and he would still be smiling like a little kid in a candy store.

He wondered how she would look like as the aftermath of endless hours of pleasure- it would be a series of delight and erotic imagery that sent his body on fire. The dark part of his mind envisaged an image of her, curled up on his bed as her blue tresses felled around her like a halo, her flushed skin bared to his hungry view and cheeks blushing red as his predatory eyes drank in the sight of her wondrous curves- Kurama stopped himself. A delicious shiver racked down his spine and despite welcoming it, it only intensitified the fire burning in the core of his stomach, the blood now rushing to his loins. He willed his dirty mind to halt and it felled into muted silence before it managed to step into a more dangerous, _arousing_ territory in his head. This would not be the first he imagined her in such a risque manner, nor it would be the last- and he would unabashedly admit that he didn't really mind it. Still, it wouldn't do him any good to sit there with a raging hard on begging to be dealt with while she was still on the phone. As tempting as it was to masturbate whilst listening to her voice, Kurama knew that it would only scare her away.

He cleared his throat to hide his discomfort as Botan's voice calling out to his name resonated in his ears. He briefly pondered how long his mind went off the radar and sneaked off from the real world as it seemed as if she had been asking him what was wrong for a while now.

"My apologies, I was too busy thinking. What were you saying?" he calmly asked in spite of the throbbing of his cock constricted through the fabric of his pants.

" _Oh- well, I was talking about how Koenma-sama always upsets me and makes me seething with rage and how he should appreciate what I do for him- but that's probably something you don't wanna hear. How's your mother?_ "

He knew she wanted to ask him about what kind of stuff he was thinking about- he could tell from the curiosity teasing at the edge of her voice. But she didn't, and for that, he was more than glad because he wouldn't be able to give her a truthful answer anyway. That was one of the many things he loved about her- she just seemed to know where she shouldn't prod and didn't try to probe anyway because she just harbored an immense amount of respect for his privacy. Although, he knew he was only taking advantage of her subtle kindness.

"She's fine. She's been out of hospital for a while now, so I suppose you could call that good news."

" _Suppose? That **is** good news! I'm glad to hear that. What about Shuichi-kun and Hatanaka-san? How are they doing?_" Curiosity dissipating, Botan's cheery timbre was heavily tinted with complete joy at the implication of Shiori finally getting better. The old woman had been going in and out of hospital for so many times that many of his friends were starting to worry. Botan was especially close to her and evidently was happy at the fact that the older woman might be cured of her illness after all.

A smile curled at the corners of his lips and his lust cooled down to permit his love for her to come into surface as his voice held that soft tinge that he only ever saved for her and his family members. "Shuichi's been better. He's seeing someone now and apparently that relationship has been going on for nearly a year. I know, surprise, huh?" he chortled as a feminine, startled gasp resounded from the other line. "It seems he was keeping it a secret until the right time came. He wanted to make sure she was the right girl before introducing her to us. She's lovely, you'd love to meet her. Hatanaka-san's been quite alright, too. I suspect there's growing stress on his part, though. He's getting old and things that seemed easier back then are harder to accomplish now. At least, that's what he tells me anyway. I wouldn't know. I'm not being eaten away by age yet."

" _Oh, hush, Kurama. We both know you're about at least a few centuries older than he is. If you weren't a demon, you'd be hunched back and wrinkled by now._ "

A charming set of laughter erupted from the ferry girl's throat. The mere sound was enough to make his body feel alive- and it wasn't in the sexual kind of way, either. It was the kind of way only she could affect him with. It was as if all signs of exhaustion from work and the mental strain of pretending to be something he was not were stripped off of him like water down his back. It was amazing how she could gain such a strong effect from him and yet still be clueless as to what his true desires were. But that only made him want her even more. Her blissful ignorance made him want to take her and corrupt her for all he was worth. Everytime she giggled, he wanted to put his fingers in her mouth and silence her for all the sinful thoughts she made him think about. He loved how kind and naive and overflowing with all good things she was that it hurt and made him want to break her. Her angel wings were a blinding white and he wanted to taint them with dirty spotches of black.

Another shudder traveled down his spine, but this time, he briskly collected himself. _I need a cold shower after this_ , he thought as he flopped his back on the bed, his head bouncing against the mattress as he stared up at the ceiling, _or maybe just long hours of touching myself._ Whilst imagining himself fucking her. _A third shiver_. "You know that's not what I mean," he finally countered in response to her joke. It felt as if hours had gone by, but in reality, it had only been a few seconds since she kiddingly told him he was old.

" _I know. How's life working at Hatanaka-san's company, by the way? I wanted to drop by and see how you were doing but I had a, you know, full schedule._ "

He gave out a light shrug of his left shoulder and sounded out a barely comprehensible noise that sounded suspiciously like 'I don't really care'. "It's okay, I guess. Like I said, it's all work."

He could almost feel her cheshire-like cat grin as she teasingly supplied, " _No girlfriends?_ "

Kurama's mouth formed a patient smile. _If only you knew..._ he wished, but swiftly brushed the thought off with a simple shake of his head. "None. And I would like for it to remain that way."

Botan didn't sound as if she was even the tiniest bit surprised. Still, she asked, " _Why?_ "

"Don't you mean why not? I just don't really enjoy the prospect of being tied down to one woman. I'm simply not ready for that kind of commitment yet," he responded, his words a smooth and elaborate collection of syllables yet nothing close to the truth. Deceit was his forte after all and even a master lie detector such as Botan herself wouldn't be able to tell. "Besides, I don't have anyone I'm interested in." _With the exception of you, of course_. But that was something he would talk about when he was sure she was ready to see the real him. _Then again, who would be?_ He mused humorously to himself, a smirk finding its way to his well-sculptured face as his mind drifted to all the awful, wonderful things that went through his head.

" _Then who do you plan on bringing to Yusuke's wedding? You're not planning to skip out on us, are you?_ " Botan's voice, tinted with mirth, still held an underlying tone of fearful doubt as she spoke.

Maybe it was because he wanted to put her mind at ease and alleviate her concerns. Or maybe it was because of the fact that he was getting tired of her obliviousness towards his actual feelings towards her. Either way, he promptly blurted out, "I was planning to ask you, actually." His voice sounded way too casual for both their tastes and his timbre lacked any hint of emotion or even a momentary pause of nervous hesitation that usually accompanied this sort of thing that it was kind of obvious that he didn't mean for it to come out that way.

Still, what was said had been said. He was actually glad he got it out of his chest. All he needed to do now was wait. Wait for a response. Wait for her to say something. _Anything_.

She was silent for a long time after that. He expected her to either shyly say yes or just stammer out unintelligible sentences that made no sense whatsoever due to the shock. Hell, he even expected for her to laugh at him because she never expected him to see her in that kind of light.

Yet, she just said nothing for what felt like infinity. Then, when she finally did, it was something he did not, in any way, predict, even though he had feared for it to occur.

" _Kurama..._ " she whispered, the uplifting tone in her voice now gone. " _I already have a date._ "

Her words seemed to spell an impending doom as they echoed and cut through the technical noise coming from the phone. Or maybe that was just an incessant buzzing in his head? He couldn't tell. All he could think of was how he couldn't believe what was happening and what he did wrong for things to end this way, all he was aware of at that very moment was her answer and his own raw reaction to it. It felt as if something had stolen his ability to breathe properly and he could just almost see the freckles of gold peeking through his clouded view. He wanted to claw at something- anything- and his fangs craved for the salty taste of warm blood.

"Okay then," he eventually forced out, his voice strangely hoarse. But a slow, dangerous smirk soon spread on his lips.

He had always kept his more animalistic side restrained and leashed with countless and countless of chains, but it seemed as if one more link in the chains which bound the monstrous beast a prisoner inside his body had broke and disappeared. And that could only mean one thing.

It was the start of madness and he welcomed it all too well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Covet**

 **Summary:** Look only at me. Want only me. Be mine only. Otherwise, I'll break you.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Chapter 4**

Kurama was perched on his swirveling chair, one arm on the desk with his hand under his chin and the other arm flicking to draw on the piece of paper attached to the book he was reading. Or at the very least, trying to read for the past hour. For the first time in a long time, his mind would go inexplicably static, before taking a drastic turn to focus on bloody and horrific imagery of any type of torture he could possibly know. His blood thirst was sending involutary orders to the plants around his room and he hoped Yusuke wouldn't notice. He tried to keep at least a small part of his brain sane, just in case he would unintentionally harm his friend and would have to stop his plants from doing anything stupid under his orders. Although, he wouldn't deny that he _did_ want to hurt something. Or _someone_ , for that matter. He tried not to let his mind dwell too much on that but knew he was putting his own efforts to vain. Amazingly enough, he also didn't care.

Yusuke had came over to visit around that time, though the fox had barely acknowledged his existence. The detective seemed to notice his odd behavior and lack of response to any of his attempts at striking a conversation, but didn't dare to prod into the matter. He knew better than to probe into things better left unknown. Whatever had Kurama acting all weird, it was probably something Yusuke didn't need to know - if the intense hatred and raw anger restlessly intervening Kurama's usually calm aura was anything to go by at least. And it wasn't as if he hadn't caught a glimpse of dangerous shimmering gold menacingly peeking through Kurama's normally angelic peridots either. It felt as if he was staring at _Youko Kurama_ , and not the usually mild-mannered Shuichi Minamino-Kurama that he was used to. Besides, the stoic expression he was too used to seeing was gone now, replaced with a tight, deathly one that seemed to send shivers of fear down his spine. It was a look Yusuke had never seen but it was a look he dared not mess with. To be honest, it freaked him out so much he wondered why he wasn't running out of the house yet. Maybe he was brave, maybe he was stupid. Most likely he was both.

"Yusuke." Kurama's voice sliced through the tension in the air like a knife digging through skin and Yusuke could have sworn his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Probably did a flip of horror too. "Botan's date… Do you know who it is?"

Yusuke tried to collect his composure before his brown eyes averted to unmistakably fix a confused stare on the fox. Kurama's posture was still the same; he still had his back facing him and his back was still as straight as the time Yusuke had gotten there. Then, slowly, almost too slowly, Yusuke blinked.

Those were the first words Kurama had said to him since he came, and those few first words were not what he expected at all. For a short moment, he let out a dumb-sounding, "Bwah?"

Kurama turned around for the first time that evening and permitted the slightest touch of a patient smile to graze his lips. If only the smile reached his eyes, then Yusuke would have been assured that Kurama wasn't threatening to lash out at him. Not that he would… would he?

"Uh," Yusuke took a short pause and scratched the back of his head with his right hand. He pondered for a moment what the hell was going on but decided, yet again, that he was not courageous enough to try and find out. Instead, he went on, "yeah, I know him. He's, er, an SDF member. One of the strongest fighters on the team, I guess. That's what I've heard about him from Koenma anyway. Met the guy a few times, talked to the guy a few times and he seemed pretty decent." A brief silence engulfed the two of them for a while. Kurama seemed to be waiting for him to say more but really, he didn't know anything else. His stupid mouth, however, couldn't keep itself from trying to grab at any piece of information the jumbled mess in his head he called his mind was trying to figure out. "Why do you ask?"

Another silence lingered and this time it seemed to drag on longer than the previous one. Yusuke couldn't help but wonder if he had made a huge blunder. He was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to ask that.

Then, Kurama's eyes were blank. There were no hints of malicious intents, no gold trying to scratch the surface. Just blank. Almost empty, lifeless green.

But it was only for a few seconds and remnants of the usual Kurama he was comfortable with suddenly slipped through. The corners of Kurama's lips, ones that had been thinned into the angriest damn line Yusuke had ever seen, curled upwards to form that polite smile he was accustomed to seeing. His emerald irises, Yusuke noted, had also regained their life again and was becoming a lighter shade in colour.

"I see. Well, that's good, I suppose." Kurama nodded to himself. His smile didn't falter but for a fraction of a second, Yusuke could have sworn he saw a slight fracture in Kurama's collected expression. "I was worried it was a guy who wouldn't quite be suitable for her, but I suppose my concerns were unneeded." The fox shut his book close with a quiet yet thundering thud. "Perhaps I should try again next time."

The last sentence that erupted from the fox's throat caused another question to appear in Yusuke's head. The gears in his mind worked their own magic before they seemed to fall into place and finally, everything clicked. Kurama asking Botan's phone number. The menacing aura Kurama was emitting. That goddamn last sentence.

"You…" Yusuke didn't finish at once, still trying to process the thought running circles in his small brain, "asked her to be your date." It wasn't an inquiry, it was a statement. "She told you no."

Kurama didn't seem surprised he caught on to that slightest bit of information. Yusuke wasn't that dumb, after all. "I'm afraid so."

"Oh." Yusuke honestly didn't know how to respond to that. He was still thinking how the hell Kurama was attracted to Botan in the first place and why the hell he didn't notice it either. "I, er," He gave another scratch to the back of his head, this time out of sheer embarrasment, "sorry to hear that, man. I have no idea what to say. Just-" He paused as his mind abruptly recalled something, "-you still have a chance. It's not like she likes him."

One red eyebrow quirked up to disappear into equally crimson bangs. "Is that so?" Kurama tried to hide the startled glee that swelled his heart, but it was there.

"Yeah. Apparently, she's going with him because that brat, Koenma thought it was a smart idea. Koenma's basically the reason she said yes in the first place. Botan told me she didn't have a partner to the wedding and Koenma just conveniently suggested the guy. I don't think she's ever noticed him before, but if it gives you any consolation, she's just going along because she didn't have anyone else." Yusuke didn't know why he was rambling, but he was. His hands were making dumb, absent-minded gestures, flailing around like he was some kind of idiot but Yusuke couldn't afford to care. He remembered Kurama's behavior that nearly scared him to death and thought it was somewhat wise to explain things to the redhead. It was probably just because he rarely saw Kurama so riled up- but Yusuke really couldn't just ignore the fact he almost pissed his pants. Something about the way the fox looked that just didn't seem to sit well with him. Not even _Toguro_ or _Sensui_ could have awakened that sense of trepidation inside of him.

Yet again, it was astounding how he hadn't ran when his instincts had literally screamed at his entire body to instantly flee. Kurama was his friend after all, and he knew his friends. He was supposed to know his friends- he'd liked to think he knew his friends. Whatever he had felt from Kurama; that was probably a mistake. It probably just freaked him out to see Kurama worked up for the first time, Yusuke tried to convince himself. Still, it wouldn't hurt to offer his pal some kind of support. He hoped it was enough to cool the redhead down. He didn't know if Kurama noticed what he was trying to do, but whether he did or didn't, Yusuke just wanted to show that he got his back no matter what.

Kurama did notice. _I'd really like to say that's enough, Yusuke. I really do_ , he thought but his twisted mind really just wanted some blood in his hands. Even if he couldn't kill or hurt anyone, he was about to make sure Botan was his through any means possible. He had no qualms going to extreme measures if he had to. If only Yusuke knew, but that would only frighten him away. "What's his name?"

"Huh? Oh, Shouji. Brown hair, red eyes. Kinda tall, nearly as tall as you, I guess." Yusuke blinked. He didn't really understand why he was giving such a detailed description, but his mouth seemed to be moving way faster than his brain. "He's got those slitted eyes, you know? Sort of reminds me of a cat. He's got slightly dark skin, but not too dark. Got a tattoo that goes all the way from- I don't really know where, but you can see it peek through his collar. Anyway, it goes to his chin, reaching just below his right eye. I thought it was pretty cool the first time I saw it."

Kurama had a picture in his head and realized he had seen the man a few times. He hadn't actually initiated any contact with him but he had walked past by the man on some occasions when he dropped by at Reikai. He had never seen him interact with Botan so he had merely brushed him off as an unimportant reigen that didn't really warrant his attention. Not that it was important. Kurama had plans to deal with him some way or another.

"Is there some way I can meet him, without going to Reikai?" Kurama asked. It was too much trouble to find a means of transportation to go all the way to Reikai. If he could deal with the pest in the human world, that was best. Yusuke probably didn't know. But he supposed Botan knew and Botan had told Yusuke at least some of the plans her partner had.

"Botan…" Yusuke's voice drifted off into a dream-like state. "He told Botan that he's planning to- um, look for a suitable attire for the wedding. I guess he's going out shopping. In Ningenkai. Told Botan that he knows she likes human clothing so he's gonna buy his tux from a human's store. That's tomorrow, I think. It's kinda cheesy."

"Tomorrow," Kurama repeated, then nodded in affirmation. He was certain Yusuke felt dizzy at this point but the detective still didn't notice the tiny thing hovering behind his back so Kurama assumed it was safe to go on. "Anything else?"

"… I don't think so," Yusuke muttered, almost sleepily.

Kurama nodded once again and with a flick of his hand, decided it was best to let Yusuke rest.

The fox ordered the plant that lingered over Yusuke's shoulder to halt its effects on the poor boy. The purple petals that had peeled open to reveal yellow, slimy insides fluttered close as the light that resonated with its powers dimmed into nothing. It slithered slowly and quietly from the bed before moving up the walls and disappearing into the tiny cracks at the corners of his room. As immediately as it was out of sight, Yusuke shook his head, eyes blinking and brows furrowing, as if he had just snapped out of a trance.

Kurama inwardly apologized for using his powers on Yusuke, though he didn't really feel the tiniest bit guilty for what he did. That plant served to manipulate its victims into giving out information they, in other circumstances, would be too hard-pressed to tell. He knew Yusuke would be too suspicious of what he was planning to tell him anything so it was literally the only thing Kurama could manage. He didn't feel bad- he'd done much worse.

"Go to sleep, Yusuke," Kurama simply said and whirled around so that he was once again facing the other way, his back to Yusuke as the sound of body collapsing on the bed reached his ears. He opened his book once again and craned his neck to the side as he tucked his chin into the safety of his palm. Almost instantly, the medium-pitched snorings of Yusuke filled the air, accompanied with the sound of Kurama's pencil moving against the paper again.

No doubt Yusuke wouldn't remember anything by the time he was awake. By the time he would have gotten out of his slumber, he would be sleeping on his own bed and not Kurama's. The fox was going to make sure he wouldn't remember- he'd erased a person's memories before, it wasn't too difficult to pull that stunt on his own friend. He was, after all, partial to having things go his way. And Yusuke remembering any of this was a bad idea. He had caught a glimpse of the monster lying dormant underneath Kurama's calm, friendly exterior anyway and that was too dangerous. He was pretty sure Yusuke would find out sooner or later that he forced those bits of information out of him so really, memory-erasing was the only thing he could possibly think of. He couldn't have Yusuke get in the way of his plans after all. He didn't want to have to hurt him.

He had a few hours at the very least to get the necessary plant ready to rid Yusuke of the memories he was in no need of, and to get the detective back to his home without his mother or Atsuko noticing. That was more than enough time, he noted, so he continued to draw mindlessly on his book.

When he was done, his pencil snapped into half as he leaned back in his chair, eyes holding an appreciative gleam as he studied the art he had produced with so many strokes. He had gotten better, he thought.

On the book, excluding the printed words on the piece of paper, was an image of Shouji, skin ripped to shreds by man-eating plants. The muscle underneath was exposed, blood dripping out as Shouji's mouth was wide open in silent horror. It was too beautiful of a sight to erase so Kurama decided to leave it at that. Perhaps it was best to hide the book as well in hopes that his mother wouldn't find it.

 **A/N:** Soooo… this wasn't a really good chapter. Oh, I don't even know anymore. Have I gotten worse at writing? Maybe. Ugh, This is what you get after not touching your fics for a long time I guess. Still, I hope my readers had enjoyed reading this. Maybe I can update with a better chapter next time.


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